Anticipation, Manipulation and Payback
by Healer Pomfrey
Summary: Harry Potter's Sorting from Severus Snape's POV - with a little twist. Completely AU, partly OOC, mentioning of abuse!Dursleys, sick!Severus


**Anticipation, Manipulation and Payback**  
**by Healer Pomfrey**

_All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story.  
I am not a native speaker of English. Please excuse my mistakes._

* * *

Severus Snape absentmindedly listened to his colleagues' babbling, while he let an assortment of potions pass in front of his mind. However, all of a sudden, the mentioning of a name caught his attention.

"I wonder where Harry Potter is going to be sorted," Professor Flitwick spoke up, sounding annoyingly eager.

Minerva McGonagall visibly straightened in her seat. "Into Gryffindor of course, considering that both his parents were Gryffindors," she replied in her thick Scottish accent, which always became extremely strong during the summer holidays.

'_Potter_,' Severus thought, absolutely horrified at the prospect of having the offspring of James Potter come to Hogwarts later the same day. Of course he knew that the boy had turned eleven this summer. How would he be able to forget such a thing? However, during the last few days, he had been feeling not in his top form, maybe even slightly unwell, although he was not ready to admit the fact, not even to himself, and the matter had completely slipped his mind.

Now however, it forced itself to the forefront of his mind, and Severus felt the dull ache behind his temples, which had been pestering him the whole day, develop to a pounding headache. '_So I'm going to see that arrogant face every day during the next seven years_,' he mused, unconsciously letting out a long sigh.

"Severus, is everything all right?" the fussy Scottish lioness asked in apparent concern, casting him a sharp look.

"Of course," Severus replied shortly and in a tone that not allowed his colleagues any space for further inquisitions. He made himself ready to rise from his chair as he queried, "If that's all, Albus?"

The Headmaster shared a fatherly smile and retorted, "Ah but Severus, I'd like you all to have lunch here with me. Don't forget that this is our last quiet time for the next ten months." He summoned Twinkle, his personal house-elf, and instructed the elf to bring lunch for the four Heads of House and himself.

A mere instant later, a huge plate appeared in front of each of the professors. However, Severus couldn't help feeling nauseated at the thought of eating anything. The idea of some quality time in his lab seemed much more appealing, or even a short nap would be welcomed.

"Severus, does the fact that Harry Potter is going to come to Hogwarts disturb you so much that you lost your appetite?" Pomona Sprout asked, causing Severus to inwardly groan.

"I am not explicitly looking forward to having that pampered, arrogant brat here," he gave back icily.

"Ah but Severus, you don't know if he will be like his father at all," Dumbledore said gently.

"From what I heard from Arabella Figg, he must be a very nice, shy boy," McGonagall threw in. "He was not raised by his parents, and he is Lily's son as well."

"Exactly," Dumbledore agreed, absentmindedly casting a refreshing charm at his bowl with lemon drops. "I believe that it will do both of you good to get to know each other."

Severus could barely prevent himself from rolling his eyes at the Headmaster and merely thought to himself, '_No thank you_.'

'_But he is indeed Lily's son, and she has always been your best friend_,' a small voice at the back of his head spoke up.

'_But he is a Potter, he looks like a Potter, and he is going to behave like a Potter_,' Severus replied firmly, laying both hands around the mug with his favourite black tea.

'_At least you could give the boy a chance. He is only a child_,' the small voice had the gall to reply.

Severus gratefully inhaled the steam coming from his mug, while he continued his internal dispute. He was so absentminded that he did not follow his colleagues' conversation for a few minutes and was only brought back to reality when the Gryffindor Head addressed him directly.

"Severus, you better eat something now. Maybe you won't be able to enjoy your meal at the Welcoming Feast, knowing that Harry Potter was sorted into your House."

"Nonsense," Severus sneered. "He will be a Gryffindor like his father."

"And his mother," Flitwick threw in, "although I am sure that she would have fit into Ravenclaw much better. She was the best Charms student I ever had."

Severus did not notice the merry twinkle in the Headmaster's eyes and merely sighed in relief when they were finally dismissed. He returned to the solace of his private quarters, glad that none of his colleagues were headed into the same direction, as they would surely have commented on his unusually slow walking speed. He wearily entered his private lab, eyeing the simmering potions with trained eyes.

'_The only potion you should care about now is something to make you feel better_,' the annoying little voice began to bother him again. '_Feeling a pain in the chest whenever you try to breathe or swallow is not a good sign, and a splitting headache won't help concentrating_,' it told him.

For once Severus had to agree with his inner voice. Quickly dismissing the thought of brewing a potion, he decided to make himself comfortable in his favourite armchair. '_Who knows whenever I'll have the time to read my Potions Monthly again_,' he mused and engrossed himself in his reading.

"Master Severus!"

Severus was brought back to reality, when Cicero, his personal house-elf, spoke to him. '_I must have drifted off to sleep_,' he realised, the scenes from his nightmare still clearly in front of his mind. '_Potter_,' he thought grimly. _'I'll give the pampered little brat a nice surprise tomorrow morning_.' He thanked Cicero and dragged himself into his office to take a look at his traditional speech for the first years and to think about a few good questions for '_the new celebrity_'. His face scrunched in disdain at the thought of Harry Potter, '_the boy who lived_.' Severus fiercely rubbed his forehead. 'He'll _probably be even worse than his father if that's possible at all_.'

"Master Severus, it is time to go to the Great Hall," Cicero informed him.

With a flick of his hand Severus dismissed the elf and mentally readied himself for one of the most annoying events in the whole school year. Somehow, he felt much worse than before his afternoon nap. His chest was sore, his head hurt badly, and he felt hot and cold at the same time. Alone the thought of food made him nauseous. Somehow, his feet automatically led him towards his lab. He rarely ever willingly took any of his potions; however, he knew that he would not be able to survive the evening without at least a proper headache potion. He chose a strong headache potion, a light fever reducer as well as something to soothe his stomach and slowly made his way to the Great Hall, noticing on his way that whilst he felt slightly better, at least the headache potion had been inefficient. '_I should have taken the double dose_,' he thought grimly and was just pondering if he would be able to unobtrusively summon Cicero without attracting his colleagues' attention, when the Deputy Headmistress addressed him.

"Oh my, still in such a bad mood, Severus?" she queried, just when the Headmaster's personal house-elf, Twinkle, popped up in front of the Head table.

"Master Albus, Mistress Minerva, the students have just arrived," Twinkle announced, popping away as if in a hurry.

"Smile, Severus. Don't frighten the poor first years from the first minute onwards," McGonagall said, before she strode away to welcome the new students.

'_You're one to talk_,' Severus thought in annoyance, glad when everyone else's attention became diverted from him by the older students' arrival in the Great Hall.

HP

Severus looked up as the group of first years came to stand in front of the Head table. '_Draco_,' he acknowledged the presence of his godchild, '_along with Crabbe and Goyle. I wonder if they're the same dunderheads as their fathers_.' He slowly let his eyes wander over the group. '_Granger_,' he thought as the Deputy Headmistress called a girl with bushy brown hair, eying the obviously excited girl with annoyance, '_seems to be_ _one of these annoying perfectionists, who question everything the teacher says_.' He frowned upon noticing that one student suddenly knelt on the floor, apparently searching for... Severus squinted. '_A toad?_' he thought, inwardly shaking his head. '_I hope he's not going to be sorted into my House. Ah, all right_,' he thought an instant later, when McGonagall called the boy's name. '_Longbottom. The son of Lily's best friend_.'

His thoughts returned to the time nearly ten years ago, when the Longbottoms and the Potters had been attacked. As much as he had despised both couples, Lily's death had been a shock. He was brought back to reality when his colleague read from her list, "Harry Potter."

Severus observed how the boy was sorted. '_Why is his Sorting taking so long?_' he wondered, slowly getting upset about the matter, when the Sorting Hat finally shouted into the Hall, "Slytherin."

'_Slytherin?_' Severus thought in shock. '_That's impossible_.' He looked up, terrified, just when the Headmaster was the first to applaud. '_How can that dunderhead of an antiquated piece of filthy cloth sort a Potter into my House?_'

Suddenly, the Headmaster rose from his seat, alerting Severus to the fact that the Sorting ceremony was over. While everyone eagerly commenced to eat, he let his eyes wander over his House table. '_I can't believe it_,' he mused, realising that Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter were sitting next to each other, talking with the other first years. '_Am I delirious?_' he wondered, however quickly dismissed the thought, when the Headmaster addressed him.

"Severus, this might overcome the House rivalries to a great extent. As I told you, just get to know the child."

Severus contented himself to merely quirk an eyebrow at the Headmaster, completely annoyed as he took in the old wizard's happily twinkling eyes. During the rest of the meal, he slowly stomached a few bites of food, while he pondered if he should change his usual speech at the House meeting. '_Because of Potter?_' he then recalled and decided otherwise.

HP

When the Headmaster finally ended the Welcoming Feast, he strode behind his House table, uttering, "House meeting in fifteen minutes," before he left the Great Hall and quickly entered a small, secret passage behind one of the portraits in a nearby corridor. For an instant, he leaned against the wall in exhaustion. '_Thank Merlin for the shortcuts; otherwise it would take me an hour to get to the dungeons today_,' he thought as he stepped though the door to his office and slowly dragged himself to the common room. He let himself sink onto one of the comfortable, green sofas and awaited his students' arrival. Suddenly, a thought crossed his mind. '_Will I be able to hide from Poppy how miserable I feel when I take the first years to the hospital wing for their check-up?_' He remained pensive for an instant, before he resolved, '_I won't change my habits now. This is what makes Slytherin different from all the other Houses, where the Heads don't care and keep neglecting the students. I'll be able to hide my own problem from Poppy_.'

In a quieter voice than usual, he began to hold a slightly shorter version of his traditional speech about House unity, rules, rewards and possible punishment within Slytherin. Afterwards, he made the first years introduce themselves. While he was not surprised that Draco chose to speak first, he had not expected Harry Potter to wait until everyone else was finished.

Finally, the boy said in a soft, almost shy voice, "I am Harry. I grew up with my relatives. I didn't know that I am a wizard until a month ago. I know nothing about the wizarding world."

'_Leave it to Petunia to deny the existence of the magical world_,' Severus thought grimly, remembering Lily's sister only too well. Ever since he had told Lily that she was a witch and he a wizard, Petunia had despised both of them.

"Very well then. Does anyone have a question?" he queried, letting his eyes wander over the group of first years. When everyone remained quiet, he continued, "I will now take you to the hospital wing, where Madam Pomfrey will do a quick routine check-up. In case you have not received all vaccinations, which are necessary in the magical world, she will give you these on this occasion."

Severus noticed in surprise that Harry Potter visibly paled at his words. '_Is Potter afraid of shots?_' he wondered. In spite of his usual habit of striding ahead, he walked behind the group in order to be able to unobtrusively observe each of the students. Nothing seemed to be out of the normal, except for... '_Potter_,' he thought. '_He seems very excited. Oh well, all of them is, maybe except for Draco_.' Taking in Harry Potter's pale face and frightened expression with trained eyes, he thought, '_Is it possible that he is abused? But as much as Petunia always hated Lily and me, she wouldn't abuse her child, would she?_' He was pulled out of his musings, when a violent shiver shook his body. '_Oh no, I'm sick_,' he realised in annoyance. '_I must be very careful not to show any signs of illness in front of Poppy. I won't do her the favour of allowing her to keep me here_,' he resolved as he led the students into the hospital wing and motioned them to take a seat on the chairs, which were lined up in front of Poppy's office.

HP

To Severus' relief, Poppy bustled out of her office as soon as the group crossed the room. She greeted the students and immediately began to wave her wand. '_Thank Merlin I'm not her victim today_,' he mused. He leaned against the wall next to the door to Poppy's office and observed how she did her work. One after one she dismissed the students. Harry Potter was the last.

"Severus!"

Severus looked up, startled, when Poppy suddenly addressed him. "I have not received any medical records of Mr. Potter," she said, sounding exasperated. Before Severus could even fully comprehend the problem, she continued her tirade. "Mr. Potter, did your relatives never take you to a Healer and handed over your records from the Muggle world?"

"No Madame," the boy replied in a small voice, anxiously looking from Poppy to Severus. "They never took me to a Healer or a doctor."

"And why might that be?" Severus queried, quirking an eyebrow.

"I don't know, sir."

Severus felt the heat creep into his face; however, he was not sure if it was because of his anger towards Petunia Dursley or the fever that he was certainly running. "Have you never been ill?" he heard himself ask in a surprisingly friendly voice.

"No sir," the boy said quietly. "Everything just went away by itself."

"Severus, may I have your permission to perform a full diagnostic exam?" Poppy asked, motioning the boy to lie on one of the crispy white beds. As soon as Severus agreed, she eagerly began to wave her wand over the first year, muttering to herself in apparent irritation.

With growing concern, Severus observed how the Healer's expression became grim by the minute. '_Why do I even care? It's Potter_,' he suddenly thought.

'_You do care, because it's Lily's son and because he is in your House. He is one of your little snakes_,' the small voice at the back of his head spoke up.

'_No, it's probably only that I'm getting soft because I'm feeling a bit unwell_,' he thought back.

'_You are ill, and you do care, because you already noticed that the boy is nothing like his father_,' the voice insisted, causing Severus to snort in annoyance.

Unfortunately, his snort came out in form of a harsh cough that was followed by several more coughs. Unbeknownst to Severus, Poppy cast him a sharp look, before she explained, "Mr. Potter has several bruises and welts all over his back. I also found a few bones, which must have been broken and have healed improperly. I will not mend everything now; however, I will give him the first shots and heal the injuries on his back. I believe that I also should at least break the bone in his left wrist again, so that we can heal it properly. Mr. Potter, don't you have problems with your left wrist?"

"It's not so bad," the child replied in a small voice, and Severus noticed that the boy seemed to be very nervous.

'_It's hard to believe that he is a Potter_,' Severus mused. '_Except from his outer appearance, he doesn't resemble his father at all_.'

"Severus, may I cast a diagnostic spell?" his colleague asked, causing Severus to absentmindedly nod.

Only when Poppy pointed her wand at his own head did he realise his fault. "No way, Poppy," he tried to protest; however, it was already too late, and red numbers emerged from the Healer's wand.

The Healer let out an exasperated sigh. "Severus, you can make yourself comfortable on the bed next to Mr. Potter. I am afraid the two of you can keep each other company for tonight." Completely ignoring the two wizards' equally horrified looks, she transfigured their outfits into the hospital wing's stripy blue pyjamas.

_**Epilogue**_

At the same time in the Headmaster's office, Professor Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk, absentmindedly sucking on a lemon drop, while he petted his phoenix, Fawkes. All of a sudden, Sopho, the Sorting Hat, spoke up.

"You owe me, Albus."

"Yes I know," Dumbledore replied gratefully. "Thank you Sopho. Do you have a wish?"

"Yes," Sopho replied firmly. "I request a new outfit. Cast a spell at me to modernise my antiquated form. As to the colour, I wish a combination of blue and green."

"Sopho, are you sure?" Dumbledore queried and, seeing Sopho move its large cramp up and down, waved his wand at the Sorting Hat.

"Thank you Albus," the Sorting Hat said, contentedly flapping his dark blue cramp with silver lining. "Oh and just so you know, although the boy was begging me to choose any other House, I was going to sort him into Slytherin anyway, even without your meddling."

**The End**


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